Rewriting the chorus: An artist's journey

IN REINVENTING HERSELF FROM BAND MEMBER TO SOLO ACT, A MUSICIAN FINDS JOY IN THE PROCESS

- By MURI

It's 9:15 a.m. on a humid day, and we're in a villa in the middle of Jimbaran, Bali. 20 artists and producers have flown in from over eight countries in the Asia-Pacific. The challenge? A song a day, over four days.

Fresh from performing at the ASEAN regional showcase in Bali, I was included in a line-up of artists and producers matched up in a songwriting camp following the show; a first for me. It felt part reality show, part creative summer camp. By 7 p.m. each day, work is in: submit your song and get it played in front of everyone.

First day pairings were made and the first thing that came to mind was, how do I bring my songwriting process, a very personal space, into such an environment? How do we synthesize our individual "sounds" to craft something authentic? I've been used to writing songs at my own pace and in the comfort of my own apartment. Being thrust into such a set-up was disconcerting and uncomfortable at first.

But in the end, I realized how the process itself is akin to the journey we undergo in music creation and is a reflection of who we are as individuals — one of constant evolution and reinvention.

TURN DISCOMFORT INTO AN ADVANTAGE Going from band life to solo came with a lot of changes. From the comforts of working with and relying on a regular set of musicians, solo meant experimenting and working with different people from one project to the next.

I arrived in Paris four years ago without knowing anyone or how things worked in the music world.

Early on, I found myself attending open jams and playing at late-night jazz clubs, watching and hopefully spotting cool musicians to work with. It was exciting, it was exhausting. Finally, from an Instagram conversation-turned-coffee chat, I met the producer who eventually worked with me on my first EP. We recorded at one of the best analog studios in Paris, giving the EP its high production sound.